Rocky Shore and Sea 1919

Here is a small oil painting of a rocky shore and sea by Edward Hopper. The painting is made up of long sweeping brushstrokes of blue, green and gray. You know, I can imagine Hopper with his canvas propped up somewhere along the New England coast squinting into the bright sunlight. He is trying to figure out how to make paint into space. He’s thinking, "How do I make those rocks look heavy? How do I make that ocean recede?" He's smearing blues on top of blues and building up texture, so the sea looks deep and endless. Hopper wants you to feel the dampness of the air and to sense the vastness of the scene. It reminds me of some of my own paintings, where I use color and texture to create depth and atmosphere. It’s like we're all in conversation, exchanging ideas across time, and inspiring each other’s creativity. And it all starts with just putting one brushstroke next to another.